Sexual Assault: It Could Happen to You

Although sexaul assault and rape are often used interchangeably within society each has its own set of implications. Sexual Assault is defined as, �any sexual act performed by one person on another without that person�s consent that may or may not involve penetration and ranges from unwanted petting to rape .� (Draucker 1999; The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence ;1994). Where as rape is, "sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse by a person with another person who is compelled to submit by force or by threat of bodily harm, and against his or her will" (Tyra, 1998). Feminists have described rape as a hostile, forcible act aimed a dominating, degrading, humiliating, and subjugating the victim as well as deliberately violating the emotional, physical, and rational integrity of the victim (Tyra, 1998). Rape is a violent crime involving physical dominance and control over the victim(Tyra, 1998). Various kinds of rape exist within society; two main classifications are given to describe the relationship between a perpetrator and their assailant. These subclassifications include acquaintance and stranger rape (Draucker, 1999). Within the classification of acquaintance rape, marital, and date rape are included. Stranger rape refers to any rape where the perpatrator is unknown to the assailant and is often associated with theft and other kinds of assault. In North America 80% of rapes are perpetrated by an acquaintance and 20% by a stranger(Rickert, 2002). The National Victim Center estimates that almost 700000 women are raped each year and that 61% of the victims are under the age of 18 (Rickert, 2002). The incidence of rape in the united states peaks among women 16 to 19 and 20-24 years of age(Poirier, 2002). These age groups are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women in all other age groups (Rickert, 2002; Epsy, 2000; Tyra, 1998). It is never a woman�s fault when she is raped. In many instances of stranger rape, the victim was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time (Roberts, 1983). Although being sexually assaulted can often be a case bad luck, there are certain characteristics that make certain individuals an easy target for perpetrators to prey upon. Characteristics that have been reported to increase vulnerability to date rape include early sexual activity, early onset of menarche, past history of sexual abuse or victimization, and higher acceptance of rape myths and violence towards women. An independent risk factor is the use of alcohol and drugs (Pope, 2001). The following pages will focus on: the signs and symptoms of sexual assault as seen in rape trauma syndrome, the current myths held by society regarding sexual assault, and nursing strategies for therapeutic caring of victims of assault.